Latex polymers can be made from a variety of ethylenically unsaturated monomers. Lower alkyl acrylates, e.g., those having from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, are often employed as starting materials to make acrylic latexes. Most latexes, including acrylic latexes, contain residual monomers or impurities, some of which are benign and some of which can impart an unpleasant odor. Acrylic latexes made from ethyl acrylate often contain an analog, ethyl propionate, as an impurity with the ethyl acrylate monomer. Ethyl propionate can be a source of a residual odor which is undesirable in the latex product. Ethyl propionate levels must often be reduced to less than about 20 ppmw or lower to render the latex suitable for personal care use. In addition, residual unsaturated monomers, such as, for example, ethyl acrylate, are also often removed from latex polymers as these materials can be undesirable in the latex product.
It is not uncommon to treat latex polymers to remove residual monomers and impurities. For example, latexes can be treated with enzymes to hydrolyze such materials. Such treatments typically reduce the levels of the unsaturated esters as well as the saturated esters.
When treating the monomer starting material, it can be desirable to selectively remove the saturated analogs, e.g., ethyl propionate, from the unsaturated monomer, e.g., ethyl acrylate. Enzymes that do not selectively hydrolyze the saturated over the unsaturated species will unnecessarily degrade useful monomer.
When treating the latex instead of the monomer starting material to remove the saturated impurities, selective reaction of saturated over unsaturated esters is also desirable. In typical latex manufacture, for reasons related both to odor and toxicity, effort is made to reduce the residual level of unreacted monomer. One common measure to reduce the residual level of monomer is a period of post-heating of the latex after the polymerization is substantially complete during which the latex is held at an elevated temperature for a period of time to further react any residual monomer. Another common measure is the use of additional initiator to generate a fresh batch of free radicals during the post-heat period which react with residual monomer and so reduce its level. Such measures often have the effect of reducing the residual monomer level to values of 50 ppmw and less, often 20 ppmw and less. In contrast, the residual level of saturated ester species which is unreactive remains at higher levels, e.g., 80 to 140 ppmw or more depending on the level of saturated species in the original monomer feed and the relative amount of each monomer used in the monomer mix. Thus, the saturated concentration is typically greater than the unsaturated (or monomer) concentration in the final latex. An enzyme that selectively reacts with the species present in higher concentration is more efficient and economical than one that is not selective.
Therefore, processes are desired for selectively hydrolyzing saturated esters, e.g., ethyl propionate, over unsaturated esters, e.g., ethyl acrylate, using enzymes.